The two sides will deliberate on wide-ranging bilateral and global issues at the 36th India-France strategic dialogue, according to the ministry of external affairs. 

"Ajit Doval, national security advisor will lead the Indian delegation while the French delegation will be led by Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic advisor to the French president," the MEA said. 

"The two sides will hold discussions on wide-ranging bilateral and global issues. Bonne will also call on other Indian dignitaries," it said in a statement. 

The last edition of the strategic dialogue was held in November 2021 in Paris. -- PTI

Tagore, a Lok Sabha member, has been appointed as AICC in charge of Goa, Congress sources said in Hyderabad. 

The shifting of Tagore from Telangana to Goa came against the backdrop of internal bickering in the Telangana Congress playing out in the open with some senior leaders alleging that those who recently joined the party got prominence at the cost of "original leaders and activists". 

Senior AICC leader Digvijaya Singh visited the State last month and held consultations with party leaders to resolve the issue. 

Meanwhile, speaking at a training camp held for party leaders on haath se haath jodo campaign and others, state Congress president and MP A Revanth Reddy said he is ready for any sacrifice for the sake of the party even as he questioned BRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's stance on issues concerning Telangana and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. 

A Congress press note quoted Revanth Reddy as saying that whatever work the party assigned him, he would work like a ordinary worker. 

Observing that he would work hard for the party whether he held any post or not, Revanth Reddy said he was ready to sacrifice his position or even his life if necessary for party's sake. -- PTI

Gonsalves was arrested in the case in August 2018. 

He is currently in judicial custody at Taloja jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai. In a discharge plea before the special National Investigation Agency court in Mumbai, he said that forensic analysis by Arsenal Consulting, a US digital forensics consulting company, showed that incriminating records were "planted" on the computers of some of the accused using malware. 

"Since this is the main evidence in this case, its dubious nature calls into question the whole basis of the case, the plea added. 

Arsenal Consulting has made further "Report III" concluding that the computer of co-accused Surendra Gadling was also similarly compromised, the plea said. 

These reports and other forensic analysis indicate that incriminating records were "inserted into the computers/electronic devices", Gonsalves contended. 

It has been almost four years since the first charge-sheet was filed in the case but the accused have yet not received copies of records on which the probe agency NIA is relying, he said. -- PTI

Genome sequencing of the four people, who have recently returned from the US, confirmed that they were infected with the new variant of the coronavirus, he said. 

The condition of the four patients is stable, he said. Of the four people, three are from Nadia district, while one person hails from Bihar but currently resides in Kolkata, the official told PTI. 

Last week, two persons, including a foreign national, tested positive for COVID-19 at Kolkata airport, and their genome sequencing later confirmed they were infected with the BF.7 subvariant of Omicron. -- PTI

The meeting takes place in the backdrop of twin terrorist attacks in Dhangri village in Rajouri district in which six people, including two children, were killed and 11 others injured. 

The GoC of 16 Corps called on the DGP at the police headquarters in Jammu and discussed the security situation in the Jammu region, especially in the border districts, the officials said, adding the two also discussed the new modus operandi adopted by terrorists. 

They also discussed counter measures including those for foiling attempts of dropping arms and ammunition and drugs through drones by Pakistan, the officials said. 

The DGP appreciated the synergy between the Army, police and central paramilitary forces that has helped in breaking the back of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, they said. -- PTI

Mondal, who was arrested by the CBI in connection with an alleged cattle smuggling case, had prayed for bail on Tuesday, submitting that he has been in custody for over 145 days in connection with the case. The court had reserved its judgment.  

Holding that further investigation about the alleged amassing of illegal wealth by Mondal is continuing, the court said that to release him on bail at this stage would adversely affect the morale and confidence of witnesses and seriously impact the collection of evidence during the probe.  

Denying bail to Mondal, who is the ruling TMC's Birbhum district president, a division bench presided over by Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that he continues to hold a powerful political post and has an overwhelming influence not only in society but also the state administration.  

"Paramount influence of the petitioner as a political heavyweight and materials collected showing misuse of such power to influence witnesses and derail the investigation places him in a unique position in comparison to others who are on bail," the bench, also comprising Justice A K Gupta, said. -- PTI

Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the energy portfolio, held a meeting with trade union representatives and later said the government had no intention to privatise state-run power utilities. 

The decision to call off the stir was announced by Sanjay Thakur, president of the Subordinate Engineers Association, one of the unions participating in the 72-hour-long strike that started on Tuesday midnight over a host of demands, following the meeting with Fadnavis. 

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd, Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Ltd, and Maharashtra State Electricity Generation Company Ltd are the state-owned power firms whose employees, numbering more than 80,000, had gone on the strike. 

Fadnavis said a "communication gap" between the state government and agitating trade unions led to the stir. 

"If a meeting had taken place between the state government and trade union representatives earlier, the strike wouldn't have happened," he said. 

The deputy CM said the state government doesn't want any state-run company to be privatised. -- PTI

His unanimous election is a foregone conclusion as he is the only candidate in the fray.                  

Pathania submitted his nomination papers to Vidhan Sabha secretary Yash Pal in the presence of senior leaders including HPCC president Pratibha Singh.                  

Three sets of nomination papers were filed for him. 

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu proposed Pathania's candidature and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur seconded it.                  

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri was the proposer in the second set, seconded by Col Dhani Ram Shandil, while senior Congress leader Harshwardhan Singh was the proposer in the third set and former Vidhan Sabha Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar seconded the candidature.                  

Pathania will be formally elected as speaker on Thursday. 

He was elected to the assembly in 1985, 1993, 2003, 2007 and 2022. -- PTI

Acting on specific information, police, along with the Army, launched a cordon and search operation in the Sadhpora Taad village area of Karnah, a police spokesman said. 

He said during the operation, the joint team recovered arms and ammunition including three pistols, three pistol magazines, 22 pistol rounds and three Chinese grenades from a house belonging to one Shameem Ahmad Shiekh. 

A case has been registered and further investigation is in progress, the spokesman said. -- PTI

He was 46. 

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjuna Kharge, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, Chief Minister M K Stalin and State Leader of Opposition and AIADMK interim chief K Palaniswami condoled the death of the first-time legislator. 

The MLA is the great grandson of rational leader E V Ramasamy 'Periyar.' 

He is survived by his wife and a daughter. 

A Congress release said Gandhi, Kharge and senior leaders including K C Venugopal expressed their condolences with Elangovan over the phone. 

The untimely passing away of a young and energetic leader is irrevocable loss to his family and friends, Ravi said in a condolence message. 

Chief Minister Stalin expressed shock and grief over the young MLA's death and recalled their recent meeting. 

I always remember his cheerful face," he said. 

TNCC president K S Alagiri condoled his party colleague's death and expressed his sympathies with Elangovan, a former chief of the Congress' state unit. -- PTI

Delhi Police on Wednesday registered a first information report (FIR) and formed several teams to nab the passenger who urinated on a co-passenger onboard an Air India flight from New York to Delhi, officials said.

A senior police officer said based on the complaint of the victim given to the Air India, a case has been registered under the the Indian Penal Code and the Aircraft Rules.

The IPC sections included in the case are 294 (obscene act in public place), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 510 (misconduct in public by a drunken person), he added.

"We have formed multiple teams to keep a track of the accused passenger and he will be arrested soon," the officer said.

Air India on Wednesday said it has imposed a 30-day flying ban on the passenger who had urinated on a co-passenger onboard a flight from New York to Delhi in November last year and set up an internal panel to probe whether there were lapses on part of the crew in addressing the situation.

Separately, aviation regulator DGCA said it has sought a report from the airline on the incident and will 'take action against those found negligent'.

On November 26, an inebriated male passenger had urinated on a female co-passenger during a flight from New York to Delhi, according to reports.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women has written to Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran to intervene in the matter.

The Commission said the horrendous behaviour of the man towards the woman violated her right to live a life of dignity and safety.

The NCW said it has come across several media reports wherein it has been alleged that a man in an inebriated state urinated on a woman co-passenger in an Air India flight in November but faced no action.

It has also been reported that after urinating, the man allegedly did not move until another passenger asked him to, it said.

The woman had complained to the crew, who reportedly just gave her a set of pyjamas and slippers and told her to return to her seat, claiming no other seat was available, the Commission said.

It has written to Air India Chairman Chandrasekaran to intervene in the matter and take appropriate action against the culprit.

The Commission has sought a detailed action taken report from Delhi Police within seven days.  -- PTI

India will test a space-based aircraft monitoring system when it undertakes a development flight of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) next month, senior officials said on Wednesday.

The SSLV, aimed at launching up to 500 kg satellites in planar orbit, was unsuccessful in its first development flight on August 7 last year.

The second development flight of the SSLV is likely to be held next month, which if successful would allow ISRO to provide on demand launch services for smaller satellites weighing from 10 kg to 500 kg.

"I cannot give you a specific date, but we are planning a test flight next month," ISRO chairman S Somanath told reporters in Nagpur on the sidelines of the 108th Indian Science Congress.

He said India was also planning scientific missions to Mars and Venus besides attempting a land rover to the moon sometime this year.

"The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is almost ready. The orbiter, lander and rover. But we are waiting for the right time to launch the mission, which is sometime in June. We will try to meet that launch window," he said.

A senior ISRO official said the space agency will also test the satellite-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receiver system onboard the SSLV next month.

"The ADS-B receiver gets all details of an aircraft. Currently, the Air Traffic Controller gets these signals. But there are certain blind spots -- about 30 per cent of airspace across the globe -- where ATC doesn't have access. Now, we have developed a space-based ADS-B technology," D K Singh, Deputy Director, Advanced Technology Area, Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad, told PTI in Nagpur.

He said the space-based ADS-B system will be tested on the SSLV test flight next month.

Singh said the space based ADS-B technology is currently offered commercially by a Canada-based company to aircraft companies, using a payload on the Iridium Next Low Earth Orbit satellite.

Singh said ISRO was also planning to launch GSAT-20 high throughput satellite next year that would facilitate in-flight connectivity for aeromobile services using Ka band.   -- PTI

The police on Wednesday filed a charge sheet in a court in  Palghar in Maharashtra, four months after former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry and a co-passenger were killed in a car crash in Palghar district.

Mistry, 54, and Jehangir Pandole were killed on September 4 when their luxury car hit a divider on a bridge on the Surya river on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway.

Anahita Pandole, 55, who was at the wheel, and Darius Pandole were seriously injured.

Palghar district rural police on November 5 registered a case under sections 304-A (Causing death by negligence), 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (Causing hurt by an act which endangers human life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Motor Vehicles Act.

Police had questioned witnesses and obtained reports from the RTO (Regional Transport Office) and Mercedes Benz India Pune.

Police had earlier said Mistry and Jehangir Pandole were not wearing seat belts. Prima facie, over-speeding and the 'error of judgement' by the driver caused the accident, they had said.

Anahita Pandole, a gynaecologist, was discharged from a Mumbai-based hospital after undergoing treatment for 108 days in December.   -- PTI

A woman has alleged that she was asked to remove her shirt during a security check at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, asking what was the need for the officials to do so.

However, authorities at the airport sought to distance themselves away from the matter and said they cannot take any action on the matter as it pertains to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

'I was asked to remove my shirt at the Bengaluru Airport during security check. It was really humiliating to stand there at the security checkpoint wearing just a camisole and getting the kind of attention you'd never want as a woman. @BLRAirport Why you need a woman to strip?' the woman passenger tweeted on Tuesday.

After tweeting, she de-activated her account.

The airport authorities distanced themselves from the episode.

"We have nothing to say as it (matter) has got to do with the CISF," a communication team member of the airport told PTI.

The CISF was not available to comment on the issue despite repeated calls.  -- PTI

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will send additional 18 companies to Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of recent killings of civilians in two fresh terror attacks in Rajouri district, sources familiar with the development said.

The 18 CRPF companies -- approximately 1,800 personnel -- will be rushed to the Jammu region for deployment mainly in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

As per inputs, eight CRPF companies will be deployed very soon from nearby locations of deployment in Jammu and Kashmir while 10 CRPF companies are being rushed from Delhi.

The move followed a recent order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs amidst intelligence input about the terror attack in the Jammu region, said the source.

Six persons, including two children, were killed and many more injured in two separate terror attacks in Upper Dangri village in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Sunday evening and Monday morning.

In the latest terror attack, two children were killed and several others injured after a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast took place in Rajouri's Upper Dangri village on Monday morning.

ADGP Mukesh Singh cautioned people as another suspected IED was spotted in the area near Upper Dangri village, which is about eight kilometres from Rajouri town.

Officials said that the explosion took place near the house where four civilians were killed and many more injured by terrorists in a shooting incident on Sunday evening.

Nearly a dozen people were reportedly injured in the two terror attacks by the terrorists since Sunday evening.

The injured were being treated in Jammu hospital.

In the first attack, two armed terrorists barged into three homes separated by a distance of around 50 metres from each other on Sunday evening and opened indiscriminate fire.

The attack led to the killing of four civilians and injuries to six others.

These separate attacks are the third such incidents of civilian killings in the Rajouri district in the past two weeks after two people were killed outside an Army camp on December 16.

The attack has sparked panic in the district. Several organisations have called for a strike today to protest against the incident and demand swift action.

Army and the CRPF have launched a massive search operation to nab the two 'armed men' behind the attack at Upper Dangri village.

The office of LG Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha has announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh and a government job to the kin of those killed in the firing incident.

'An ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh and a government job would be given to the next of kin of each of those civilians martyred in the dastardly attack. Seriously injured would be given Rs.1 lakh. Officials have been directed to ensure the best treatment to injured,' the Office of LG J-K said in a statement.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also visited the village where security has been enhanced.   -- ANI

The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday appointed Isudan Gadhvi as its Gujarat unit president, replacing Gopal Italia who was appointed the party's national joint secretary and co-incharge of Maharashtra.

Gadhvi was the party's chief ministerial face for the Gujarat Assembly polls held last month.

The reshuffle comes nearly a month after the state Assembly election results were announced on December 8 in which the AAP secured five seats, while all its top leaders including Gadhvi and Italia faced defeat.       

The party also appointed working presidents for six zones in the state -- Ramesh Patel (north), Chaitar Vasava (south), Jewel Vasra (central), Jagmal Vala (Saurashtra), Kailash Gadhvi (Kutch) and Alpesh Kathiria (Surat), it said in a release.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP had contested 181 out of the total 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat, but could win only five seats despite claiming to be the main opponent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party which bagged 156 seats, recording a historic victory.

Gadhvi had faced defeat in Khambhalia seat and Italia lost from Katargam.

While all its top leaders including Italia and Gadhvi lost the election, the AAP managed to secure 12.6 per cent votes.

Four of its candidates won seats in the Saurashtra region, and one in a tribal seat of south Gujarat.

The winners include Umesh Makwana from Botad, Chaitar Vasava from Dediapada (tribal), Sudhir Vaghani from Gariadhar, Hemant Khava from Jamjodhpur, and Bhupat Bhayani from Visavadar.   -- PTI

The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Allahabad high court order directing the Uttar Pradesh government to hold urban local body polls without reservation for the OBCs.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, and directed that a panel appointed by the state government will have to decide the OBC quota related issues for the local bodies poll by March 31, 2023.

The top court permitted the state government to appoint administrators to run the affairs of the local bodies after the expiry of the tenure of the elected representatives.

It, however, said the administrators will not be empowered to take major policy decisions.

The top court had earlier agreed to hear the Uttar Pradesh government's appeal challenging the high court order quashing its draft notification on urban local body elections and directing it to hold the polls without reservation for other backward classes.

The Lucknow bench of the high court had ordered that the state government notify the polls 'immediately' as the term of several municipalities would end by January 31, while annulling the December 5 draft notification.

The court had directed the state election commission to hold the elections by January 31 after transferring the OBC seats in the draft notification to the general category.   -- PTI

 Dharmesh A Patel of Pasadena, California, will be booked into San Mateo County Jail after he is released from a hospital, the highway patrol said in a statement. 

 Patel, his wife and children survived and were rescued on Monday at Devil's Slide in San Mateo County, the California Highway Patrol said. The rescue involved firefighters who rappelled down the cliff to save the two children, a 4-year-old girl, and a 9-year-old boy. 

A helicopter crew rescued the two adults from the vehicle, NBC News, an American broadcast television network, said. The rescue was described as almost miraculous, The New York Times newspaper said.

 The Tesla was 250 to 300 feet down, according to the highway patrol. Based on the evidence collected, investigators developed probable cause to believe this incident was an intentional act, it said in a statement. Brian Pottenger, the incident commander for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said witnesses called 911 after the crash. 

 He said that it was very, very rare for people to survive such a steep fall and that the children's car seats may have saved their lives. 

" We were actually very shocked when we found survivable victims in the vehicle. So that actually was a hopeful moment for us," Pottenger said. The children had moderate injuries, Pottenger said. -- PTI

 The bones and hair were recovered during searches from forest areas of Delhi NCR including Gurgaon and Mehrauli, the police said. Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Sagar Preet Hooda said the bone and hair samples from which DNA could not be extracted were sent to the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) Hyderabad for 'DNA Mitochondrial profiling'. 

 "On Wednesday, we received the result of the examination. One piece of bone and bunch of hair purported to be of deceased have matched with that of her father and brother which establishes the identity of the bone and hair to be that of Shradha Walkar," he said. 

 The bones will now be sent for autopsy which will be conducted by a medical board at the AIIMS, he added. 

 The gory details about Walkar's murder shook the entire nation after the Delhi Police on November 12 arrested Poonawala who is currently in judicial custody. After allegedly strangling Walkar on May 18, Poonawala sawed her body into 35 pieces and kept them in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence before dumping them across the city over several days. PTI

 Another source said there were around 210 passengers onboard and the plane returned to the airport at about 2.25 pm. It had taken off at around 1.30 pm. There was no immediate response to a query sent to Air India seeking comments on the incident. PTI

The airlines, in an official statement, said that they have taken very serious note of the incident that has caused extreme distress to a passenger. "Air India has taken a very serious note of the incident, where a passenger behaved in an unacceptable and undignified manner on the New York-Delhi flight that caused extreme distress to a fellow passenger. A police complaint has already been lodged in this case and Air India is committed to assisting the law enforcement agencies as well as regulatory authorities to ensure that justice is delivered to the aggrieved passenger," the Air India spokesperson said adding that they have reported the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for further action.

As a first step, Air India has banned the passenger for 30 days, the maximum it is permitted to unilaterally do so, it said further.

"We have also constituted an internal committee to probe lapses on the part of Air India's crew and address the deficiencies that delayed quick redressal of the situation. We are also in regular contact with the aggrieved passenger and her family during the investigation and reporting process," he added.

He alleged that the BJP and the Delhi LG have made Delhi a "Jungle Raj". 

Bhardwaj tweeted, "One more case - Attack on girl in broad daylight - What are BJP and LG doing? BJP and LG sir have made Delhi a Jungle Raj. How do girls get out of the house?" he added.

On Wednesday, a 22-year-old man was arrested for stabbing a woman in the broad daylight on Monday in the Adarsh Nagar area, said Delhi police.

While in Delhi's Pandav Nagar, a man tried to drag a 19-year-old girl inside a car, said Delhi police.

According to Delhi police, when she refused to get inside the car, the youth threatened to throw acid at her. The girl was injured.

"Because we are Indians" was how the actor said he responded to the racist remark by a staff member. The "Sarabhai vs Sarabhai" star on Tuesday said the airport staff asked his colleague in a baffled tone about how Shah was able to afford first-class travel. 

 "I replied with a proud smile 'because we are Indians' after I overheard the Heathrow staff wonderingly asking his mate how can they afford 1st class?" Shah tweeted on Tuesday. 

 The tweet on the actor's unverified handle went viral on social media and got over 12,000 likes and 1,300 retweets. The page has over 45,000 followers.

 London Heathrow, one of the busiest international airports, apologised to Shah on Twitter and asked him to share details about the incident. "Good morning, we're sorry to hear about this encounter. May you DM us?" the tweet read. 

 Many social media users lauded Shah for his dignified response. "We are Indians, it's enough for them to explain everything. If the British had not ruled us for 200 years, then perhaps England would have been a colony of ours today," a user wrote. PTI

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi on Wednesday for routine check-up, sources said.

 

Her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanied her to the hospital, they said.

According to them, Sonia Gandhi has been suffering from a respiratory infection.

Sources added that Sonia Gandhi has been unwell since Tuesday which is why Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had returned to Delhi after walking seven kilometres in the Bharat Jodo Yatra that entered Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday evening.

The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed its journey at 6 am on Wednesday after halting for the night at Mavikalan in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat.

Priyanka Gandhi did not, however, join Rahul Gandhi at the yatra's resumption. She is likely to join after noon, party sources said. -- PTI

 The 25-year-old player arrived in Spain on Tuesday after receiving what a source close to her said were warnings not to return to Iran for competing without a hijab -- a headscarf mandatory under Iran's strict dress codes. 

 The source, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Khadem later received several phone calls in which some people warned her against returning home after the tournament, reported SMH. 

 The source also said Khadem's relatives and parents, who are in Iran, had also received threats, without giving further details. However, Iran's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case. -- ANI

 The incident reportedly took place on November 26 on the Air India flight from John F Kennedy international airport in New York to Delhi and a written complaint, by the woman passenger in her 70s, stated that her male co-passenger was in a fully inebriated state and had walked up to her seat, unzipped his pants and relieved himself. He also exposed his private parts to her.

The country's aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday said that it has sought a report of the incident from the airline and said "action will be taken against those negligent." 

 Air India has also lodged a police complaint in connection with the case. Speaking to ANI, an Air India official said, "Air India has lodged a police complaint regarding the incident which took place on November 26 when the flight was on its way from JFK to Delhi." 

In her letter to the Chairman of the Board of Tata and Sons, N Chandrasekaran, the woman passenger said called the flight experience extremely traumatic and expressed deep disappointment over the incident that took place in business class section of the flight. 

 In her letter the woman said that the appalling incident took place shortly after lunch was served and the lights were switched off, as she was getting ready to sleep. 

"I am writing to express my deep disappointment regarding the appalling incident that occurred during my business class trip on flight AI102 (commencing in NY, JFK yesterday 26th November at 12.30 pm, and arriving this afternoon in New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport at approximately 1.30 pm). 

"This has been the most traumatic flight that I have ever experienced. During the course of the flight, shortly after lunch was served and the lights were switched off, I was getting ready to sleep, and another passenger walked to my seat completely inebriated. He unzipped his pants, relieved himself, and continued to expose me to his private parts. The passenger sitting next to me asked him to return to his seat. He did not respond immediately, but after a few moments left the area," the letter read. 

 The woman passenger, in the letter, also highlighted that when asked for a change of seat, the airline refused and informed there were no seats available. She also complained of being allotted a small seat used by the airline staff, by one of the senior stewardesses.

 The woman passenger was later given a steward's seat where she sat for the remaining journey of about 5 hours. 

 "I subsequently learned from a fellow passenger that several seats were available in First Class and he suggested to the crew that I be moved into one of those rather than being forced to sit in a soiled seat. Clearly, the crew did not feel that taking care of a distressed passenger was a priority. At the end of the flight, the staff told me they would get me a wheelchair to ensure that I clear customs as early as possible. However, the wheelchair deposited me at a waiting area, where I waited for 30 minutes, and nobody came to get me. I finally had to clear customs on my own and collected the luggage by myself -- all in Air India pyjamas and socks," the complaint letter added as the female passenger called the Air India crew deeply unprofessional. 

 In the letter, the woman passenger stated that the crew was not proactive in managing a very sensitive and traumatic situation and she had to advocate for herself throughout, waiting for long periods of time to get a response. 

 "I am particularly distressed that the airline made no attempt to ensure my safety or comfort during this incident. Given your reputation for excellence in other aspects of your business, I hope that you will take appropriate steps to ensure that this will never be repeated," she said

 In a major development into the Kanjhawala death case, the Forensic Science Laboratory on Wednesday said that initial examination suggests no sign of the woman present inside the car has been found so far. It further said that the woman was stuck onto the front left wheel of the vehicle as most blood stains were found behind the front left wheel. 

 "Initial examination of the accused's car suggests that the woman was stuck onto the front left wheel of the vehicle. Most blood stains were found behind the front left wheel. Blood stains have been found on other parts also, under the car," the FSL report said. "No sign of the woman present inside the car found so far," the report added.

 Medical colleges in Kota and Jhalawar are grappling with a severe shortage of cadavers, being forced to manage practical studies by grouping students together. 

 Government Medical College - Kota is conducting practical classes for its 250 students with 8 to 10 cadavers. Government Medical College - Jhalawar, on the other hand, has only six cadavers for its 200 students. This practice, however, runs contrary to the Medical Council of India -- now the National Medical Commission -- guidelines of one cadaver for 10 students.

 Cadavers are human bodies used by medical students, physicians and other scientists to study anatomy, identify disease sites and determine causes of death. 

Most state-run medical colleges in Rajasthan and across India rely on donations for cadavers. 

 Accepting the shortage of cadavers, Government Medical College - Jhalawar Dean Shiv Bhagwan Sharma said he wrote to the state government two months ago to request permission for claiming bodies from shelter homes. 

 Manoj Sharma, nodal officer of the body donation programme at Government Medical College - Jhalawar, said almost all colleges across the state, including private ones, were facing the cadaver shortage. 

 However, SMS Medical College -- the biggest hospital in the state -- in Jaipur and RNT Medical College in Udaipur are exceptions. Udaipur's location on the border with Gujarat enables it to acquire cadavers for students, he said. 

 Dean Sharma proposed coordinating with shelter homes to claim bodies of the destitute and abandoned people who die of natural causes, he said. However, the state government is yet to respond to the proposal.

 The ship was brought to the berth at the Paradip Port and the body of Milyakov Sergey, 51, was taken out by the police in the presence of a magistrate and port authorities, they said.

Sergey died around 4 am on Tuesday but it took so long for the body to be brought out of the ship as it was anchored in the sea, around 45 km away. Attempts to get the body by a small mechanised boat were also not successful due to high tide, they added. 

 Sergey was the chief engineer of the ship, MB Aldnah, which was on the way to Mumbai from Chittagong in Bangladesh via Paradip. 

 The body was first taken to the Paradip Port Hospital, and then sent to Kujang Government Hospital for postmortem examination, police said. Jagastinghpur's Superintendent of Police Akileswar Singh said the preliminary investigation indicated that the Russian engineer died due to a cardiac attack. 

 The actual reason for the death could be known only after a postmortem examination, he said.

 The Marine police station in Paradip has registered a case of unnatural death, he added. 

 The Russian engineer was part of a 22-member crew, which included 17 Indians, one Estonian and one Romanian. There were two other Russians in the crew as well. Police said they have recorded the statements of all of them. 

 Singh said Sergey's postmortem examination would be videographed. The body would be preserved and handed over to Russian authorities, said doctor Prahallad Panda, the medical officer of the port hospital. 

 The Russian Consulate General in Kolkata has been contacted regarding this, he said.

 Sergey is the third Russian to be found dead in Odisha in the last two weeks. In December, two Russians -- Vladimir Bidanov and Pavel Antov, a lawmaker -- had died at a hotel in southern Odisha's Rayagada. PTI

 It further said that the woman was stuck onto the front left wheel of the vehicle as most blood stains were found behind the front left wheel. 

 "Initial examination of the accused's car suggests that the woman was stuck onto the front left wheel of the vehicle. Most blood stains were found behind the front left wheel. Blood stains have been found on other parts also, under the car," the FSL report said. 

 "No sign of the woman present inside the car found so far," the report added. Blood samples of the occupants of the car who are arrested have also reached the FSL for detailed examination.

 Earlier, according to the FIR lodged by the Delhi Police in the incident in which a 20-year-old girl was killed after she was hit by a car and then dragged for a few kilometres on the road, being entangled in the wheels, two of the four accused Deepak Khanna and Amit Khanna borrowed the car from one of their friends at around 7 pm on December 31, 2022, and parked the car back at his house at around 5 am on January 1, 2023. The FIR said that Deepak was driving the car while accused Manoj Mittal was sitting next to the driver's seat.

Pant was on his way from Delhi to see his mother in Roorkee in Uttarakhand when his car crashed into a road divider on December 30. He miraculously escaped without life-threatening injuries even as the car went up in flames.

After immediate emergency care in Roorkee, Pant was moved to Max Hospital in Dehradun where he currently awaits discharge in a private ward. The BCCI has formed a panel of its own doctors who are in touch with the doctors at the Dehradun hospital. 

While speaking to ANI, the eyewitness, Nidhi, who is believed to be the victim, Anjali's friend and was initially riding the scooty said, "She (Anjali) was in a drunken state but insisted on driving the two-wheeler. After being hit by the car, she came under the car, and got dragged with it. I was scared and went away and returned home, didn't tell anything to anyone.

"It is the fault of the girl who was driving in an inebriated state. I insisted that she not drive; let me drive. She didn't trust me and she trusted herself," Nidhi added.

The base of her skull was fractured and some "brain matter was missing", the report said, says NDTV. 

She had injuries on the head, spine and lower limbs.

The cause of her death is listed as "shock and haemorrhage", and the report says the injuries may have collectively caused the death. There is "no injury suggestive of sexual assault", though her mother had feared she had been raped as her body was unclothed when found. 

Her clothes were ripped off by the dragging as the men drove on from Sultanpuri, where they had collided with her scooter, to Jonti village near Kanjhapura, where one of the men finally spotted her hand sticking out from under the car.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the AQI in the National Capital Region of Gurugram stood at 371, with Noida also registering the same figure. The AQI in the Delhi University area was 363 while it was 353 in IIT Delhi.

In the Airport (T3) area, the air quality was recorded at 373.

The Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe. -- ANI

 In fact, they have been asking the state government to provide them sites at alternative locations as the layouts now proposed are either far away from human habitations or close to burial grounds. This has pushed the government into a quandary as it will be required to spend close to Rs 800 crore to find alternative sites. 

 "If we are to fulfil the demand, we will have to acquire more than 2,000 acres of land from private owners for these people. Previously, what we gave away was government land," a top official of the Housing Department said. 

 The department officials informed Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy recently that there were 95,106 "tough cases" where the beneficiaries were refusing to take the house site and also build a house.

 Officials pointed out that in at least 30 per cent of the cases, the new housing layouts were "located near unsuitable areas like burial grounds". 

 In another 30 per cent of the cases, the proposed layouts were faraway from the existing habitations because of which the beneficiaries were rejecting them. 

 Such problems have cropped up in many mandal headquarter towns and in some semi-urban areas. In some districts, the officials grouped people from two-three villages and sought to develop a single layout, away from the villages. 

Here, the beneficiaries are demanding that they be provided sites in their respective villages only. Special Chief Secretary (Housing) Ajay Jain, however, maintained that the problem arose only in respect of about 50,000 beneficiaries.

 "We have asked the district collectors to conduct a survey and identify alternative land for house sites. After the survey, we will complete land acquisition and distribute house sites to the beneficiaries," Jain told PTI.

 Meanwhile, the government is forced to acquire about 600 acres of land, at an estimated cost of Rs 251 crore, for another 24,068 beneficiaries in Prakasam and Anantapuramu districts as the sites previously allotted were under litigation. As such, the beneficiaries here could not go ahead with construction of houses.

 Housing department authorities said alternative lands have been identified in the two districts and the acquisition process was on. Two years ago, the state government distributed house sites to about 25 lakh women beneficiaries under the flagship 'Pedalandariki Illu' (houses for all poor) programme and promised to build as many houses in new layouts. 

 The state government dovetailed this with the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana and took up construction of 18.63 lakh houses in the first phase, targeting to complete them by June 2023. 

 However, construction of about two lakh houses has not yet begun because of legal issues and reluctance on part of the beneficiaries. Of the 16.67 lakh houses started, only 6.96 lakh reached the basement and above level in over two years now while construction of only 2.09 lakh houses was completed.

 The Government of India released a sum of Rs 5,172 crore to the state for the housing programme so far during the current financial year but Rs 1,140 crore has not been spent on the intended purpose. The state government is also yet to release its share of Rs 888 crore for the housing works, severely hampering the progress, officials lament. -- PTI

Air India has also constituted an internal committee on this incident and recommended the male passenger be put on the 'no-fly list'. The matter is under a government committee and a decision is awaited, an Air India official told news agency ANI. 

Briefing the media after a meeting of the cabinet which approved the National Energy Conservation Plan to save energy and decrease dependence on imported oil, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said markets would close at 8.30pm while wedding halls would shut doors by 10.00pm respectively, which will "save us Rs 60 billion".

Announcing more measures, he said that manufacturing of incandescent bulbs would be stopped from February 1 while production of inefficient fans would be stopped from July. 

He said these measures would help to save another Rs22 billion.

The government would also make the use of conical geysers mandatory within a year, which by using less gas would save Rs 92 billion, and alternative use of street lights would save another Rs 4 billion.

Asif said that all government buildings and offices would also reduce use of energy under the plan and a policy to work from home would also be completed in up to 10 days.

"No lights were on in the cabinet meeting today. The meeting was held in full sunlight," he said, providing an example for the country to follow. Asif also said that the cabinet planned to conserve 30 per cent of the electricity used by government departments, which would save Rs62 billion. In another step, Asif said that electric motorcycles would be introduced by the end of this year to help cut the import of fuel.

 "The plan to save energy is being enforced immediately and the cabinet will monitor it, he said. Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman who accompanied the defence minister at the press conference said the plan would also help to tackle the climate change issue.

"The world has been following this plan for a while and it is imperative for us to change our habits," she said and asked businesses to cooperate. The measures to save energy come a day after the National Security Committee agreed that the revival of the economy is essential for national security.

 Pakistan's economic situation is facing "severe headwinds" with inflation being forecast to stay high between 21-23 per cent and the country's fiscal deficit widening by more than 115 per cent in the first four months (July-October) of the current fiscal year. Pakistan's Ministry of Finance in its Monthly Economic Update and Outlook last week said that the economic growth is likely to remain below the budgeted target in FY23 due to devastation caused by floods.

Anshu Awasthi, spokesperson for the party's Uttar Pradesh unit, said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reached Mavikalan from Delhi prior to the yatra's resumption. 

Rahul Gandhi was again seen wearing the white T-shirt that he has sported for much of the journey. 

Senior Congress leaders, including former Union minister Jairam Ramesh and the party's Uttar Pradesh unit chief Brijlal Khabri, were also present. Scores of people carrying the Tricolor joined the yatra as it made its way through. 

The yatra entered Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday via Ghaziabad's Loni border after a nine-day break. It will travel though Uttar Pradesh for two days and will enter Haryana's Panipat by Thursday evening via Baghpat and Shamli. The march left from Delhi's Kashmiri Gate on Tuesday morning. Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had returned to Delhi after walking seven kilometers on entering Uttar Pradesh. -- PTI

Speaking to the media after she appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Chandigarh Police on Tuesday, the woman said, "I heard the Chief Minister's statement this morning, in which the Chief Minister himself is taking the side of Sandeep Singh. Until the minister resigns, it would be a matter of bias." 

She claimed that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is trying to influence the probe. 

"Chandigarh Police did not put any pressure on me. Haryana Police is trying to pressurize me," she further added.

"I'm receiving phone calls that I can leave and go to any country I want and I would get Rs 1 crore for a month. I have been asked not to take back my complaint but keep shut and fly to some other country," she daid. 

The coach's advocate Dipanshu Bansal said, "Questions have been answered for the last eight hours. Whatever records my client had, we have already handed over to the police. The phone has also been given to the police. She was questioned for the fourth time."

The advocate further added, "We will give 2 or 3 days time to the police for arresting Sandeep Singh. We will get the statement of 164 recorded by Tuesday itself."

 On Tuesday, villagers informed the police that the bodies of the 21-year-old man and the 19-year-old woman were hanging from a tree in an agriculture field. 

The police recovered the bodies and sent them for post mortem, Additional Superintendent of Police Durgesh Kumar Singh said. During investigations, it was found that the couple had been in a relationship for the last two years but their family members were against it. 

 The villagers claimed that the duo committed suicide as their relatives were against their relationship, Singh added. PTI

Marvel star Jeremy Renner, who suffered from a traumatic injury following the snow ploughing accident over the weekend in Nevada's Reno, has shared a selfie from his hospital bed.

Taking to Instagram, Renner shared the picture along with the caption, "Thank you all for your kind words. Im too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all."

The comments section of the social media post was filled with wishes from several Hollywood stars including Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Taika Watiti and Orlando Bloom among others.

While Hemsworth wrote, "Speedy recovery buddy. Sending love your way!" for his Avengers co-star, Pratt commented, "Continued prayers your way brutha."

Renner is best known for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with Thor (2011) and The Avengers (2012).

He most recently played the character in the Disney+ series Hawkeye. 

Renner was nominated for an Academy Award for his performances in The Hurt Locker (2008) and The Town (2010). 

United States President Joe Biden on Tuesday renominated Eric Garcetti, the former Mayor of Los Angeles, as his envoy to India, with the White House exuding confidence that he would be confirmed by the United States Senate this time.

 

"Eric M. Garcetti, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of India, the White House said after sending the nomination to the Senate.

 

Today, the White House will begin renominating candidates who were not confirmed in the last Congress, a media statement said.

 

"As Secretary (of State, Tony) Blinken said very recently, our relationship with India is crucial and it's consequential, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference.

 

"Confirmation of Mayor Garcetti, who was voted out of committee unanimously and with strong bipartisan support to serve as ambassador to India. And that's important as we're talking about bipartisanship, as we're talking how we're going to move forward. And this is what you saw with his particular nomination, she said.

 

"So, we see this as he is well qualified, Mayor Garcetti, to serve in this vital role, and we're hopeful that the full Senate will confirm him promptly. Again, he was voted out of committee unanimously with strong bipartisan support, Jean-Pierre said. -- PTI 

According to Deadline, a US-based news outlet, the cause of death was not available.   

Galati, a co-writer with Lawrence Kasdan on the 1988 screenplay adaptation of Anne Tyler's novel The Accidental Tourist, was nominated for an Academy Award. 

From 1986 to 2008, Galati served as an associate director at Chicago's renowned Goodman Theatre. 

She has been a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company since 1985.          

The Tony Award for Best Play was given to Galati's stage production of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath in 1990. 

Galati also took home the Best Direction prize that year. 

The Tony-nominated performances by Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney, and Lois Smith in the celebrated show, which made its Steppenwolf debut before moving to Broadway, were featured.      

Galati received a second Tony nomination for Best Direction in 1998 for directing the musical adaption of E.L. Doctorow's Ragtime. Mark Jacoby, Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie, and Lynn Ahrens all starred in the Terrence McNally-written musical, which also had music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.      

As per a report by Deadline, Galati's past Broadway performances include Seussical in 2000, The Priate Queen with Stephanie J. Block in 2007, and the 1994 production of The Glass Menagerie with Julie Harris, Calista Flockhart, and eljko Ivanek. 

In 2022, he was admitted into the Theater Hall of Fame on Broadway. -- ANI                         

His comments come a day after chief priest of Ram Janmabhoomi temple Acharya Satyendra Das blessed Gandhi for the Yatra. 

"I thank the young man who is walking on foot in the country, I appreciate his move. There is nothing wrong in it. I am the worker of RSS, and the RSS never condemned Bharat Jodo Yatra," Rai said reacting to a question from mediapersons regarding the yatra which entered Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. 

"He is walking in this harsh weather and this must be appreciated. I must say every one should do Yatra of the country," he said. 

Another senior trustee of Ram Mandir Trust Govind Dev Giri also hailed Bharat Jodo Yatra. 

"I pray to Lord Rama to bless him so that the nation must remain united, strong and harmonious," he said "Bharat Jodo is a good slogan and India must unite," he added. -- PTI